It is well known that a bicycle lock that is attached to the bicycle is more convenient to use than a conventional bicycle lock and cable arrangement. Several prior art devices employ a spring-loaded reel mounted to the bicycle and upon which a coiled lock cable is wound. The user of such a device simply unwinds the cable by pulling one end of the cable around a fixed object and locking the one end to a mating lock mechanism, typically fixed to the reel. The following U.S. Patents are examples of such devices:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. ISSUE DATE INVENTOR ______________________________________ 4,404,822 9/20/83 Green 4,126,024 11/21/78 Timmons et al. 4,086,795 5/2/78 Foster et al. 3,990,279 11/9/76 Brickel ______________________________________
Such prior art devices typically have complicated means by which they attach to the bicycle, typically at a tubular member thereof. Such complicated attachment means tend to increase the manufacturing cost of such devices, and also tend to be more difficult to install. Further, such devices tend to be fairly large and, therefore, obtrusive if mounted within the bicycle frame where water bottles, tire air pumps, and the like, are also typically mounted. Still further, many such prior art devices are mounted fairly low, requiring the user of such devices to bend over in order to use the device, such as when reading numbers on a combination lock, for example. Some people have difficulty using such devices as a result.
Consequently, there is a need for a bicycle locking device that is extremely easy and inexpensive to manufacture. Such a needed device would also be easy to install and use, and would not be obtrusive to the use of the bicycle or other accessory items therefore. Further, such a needed device would be effective in locking a bicycle to a fixed object quickly and securely. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.